HOUSTON – Greg Schiano has been credited with building a legitimate college football program at Rutgers. He’s the coach, the face of the program, the lead recruiter.

But the team’s best recruiters are the players who will take the Reliant Stadium field Thursday night against Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. (8 p.m., NFLN)

At every program, current players host recruits on their official weekend visits.

At Rutgers, the players also act as a last line of evaluation. If they don’t feel a recruit is, ‘a Rutgers guy,’ they are encouraged to relate that to the coaches.

“It shows the trust the coaching staff has in us,” said quarterback Mike Teel. “And it shows the trust we have in one another.

“A guy could be the best possible player at his position but if he doesn’t fit in, he’s not going to make a good teammate.”

This sounds wonderful in theory but opens the door for questions. Will Schiano and his staff really listen to players’ take on a recruit? What if a player and a recruit don’t hit it off but the recruit is generally liked? What if the recruit plays the same position as his host?

“This isn’t a personality contest,” said safety Courtney Green. “If you’re really a team player, then it doesn’t matter if you get along great with a guy. It matters if he’s right for the program – whatever position he plays.”

Schiano said it simply makes sense to let his players have a say in the recruiting process.

“It’s not my program,” said Schiano. “It’s their program.”

The Scarlet Knights (10-2) will have their unity tested against K-State (7-5). The Wildcats sold their initial allotment of tickets and requested more. Rutgers sold about 9,000 tickets, some 5,000 less than K-State.

“Coach Schiano likes guys who are good players and good people,” said RB Ray Rice. “He likes guys who look him in the eye and sit up straight. We want the same kind of guy in the program.”